A welcoming and affirming environment feels safe. It is a space where people can find themselves represented and reflected, and where they understand that all people are treated with respect and dignity. The environment ensures all cultural identities (i.e. race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, language, religion, socioeconomic background) are affirmed, valued, and used as vehicles for teaching and learning.

The MTSS framework supports the creation of a welcoming and affirming educational environment. In a multi-tiered system of supports, school improvement efforts focus not only on academic outcomes but also on behavior and social-emotional components to promote a positive school climate and support students’ mental health and well-being.

A shared goal of MTSS and Culturally Responsive-Sustaining (CR-S) Education is to increase students’ connectedness to their school communities. Students who feel connected are more likely to attend school regularly, remain in school, and demonstrate higher academic outcomes ( Fostering School Connectedness , CDC, 2009).

How does an MTSS framework support a sense of belonging and a welcoming, affirming environment?

  • Implementation and maintenance of a Tier 1 Behavioral Core, including mutually agreed-upon norms and explicit classroom expectations developed with students.
  • Use of evidence-based interventions that increase student connectedness and belonging, such as Check-In Check-Out and Check & Connect.
  • Application of Restorative Practices to build relationships, strengthen community, and repair harm while welcoming students back into learning.
  • Ongoing review of school-level data to assess whether the environment is welcoming and affirming for all students, including subgroup analysis using sources such as SurveyWorks, Early Warning Systems, and SEL screeners.
  • Periodic review of school and district policies to ensure alignment with research-based practices and the use of misbehavior as a learning opportunity.

1 New York State Education Department. Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework. Available at http://www.nysed.gov/crs/framework .

Last modified: Sunday, January 11, 2026, 11:22 AM